Supporting devices for game cues



April 5, 1960 J. G. FURDA SUPPORTING DEVICES FOR GAME CUES Filed Aug.- 12, 1957 fid States Patent SUPPORTING DEVICES FOR GAME CUES John G. Furda, Denver, Colo.

Application August 12, 1957, Serial No. 677,668 Claims. (Cl. 273-23) This invention relates to a support for game cues of the type as used in the games of billiards and pocket pool, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple, neat, and highly efficient device which can be quickly and easily slipped over the tip extremity of a game cue for supporting the latter extremity from the table, and while more particularly designed to provide a new type of game on the order of shuflieboard wherein a single hand is employed to propel the ball, it will be found useful in the well-known table games such as billiards and pocket pool for supporting the tip extremity of a cue from the table top in positions where it is difiicult to support the cue with the left hand of the player.

Another object is to provide an attachment means for the cue-supporting device which will enable it to be quickly and easily slipped onto any conventional tapered game cue, and which will securely retain the device on the cue until its use is no longer desired.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is bad to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved cue-supporting device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section therethrough, taken on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof;

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the improved cue support in place on a conventional game cue and showing various positions which might be assumed by the cue during the playing of a game;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the improved cue support, illustrating an alternate form of attachment means; and

Fig. 8 is a front end view of the form of Fig. 7.

The improved cue support comprises a fulcrum block 10, of less thickness at the top than at the bottom, formed from wood, plastic, or other suitable relatively light-weight material. The block 10 is formed in an outline to provide an arcuate rear extremity 11 of relatively small radius, and an arcuate front extremity 12 of a relatively larger radius, the arcuate extremities 11 and 12 being joined at the bottom by a curvated bottom portion 13 and at the top by a flat straight upper edge which is provided with a medial, longitudinally-extending cue-re ceiving groove 14.

A resilient clamp plate 15 extends downwardly over each inclined side face of the block 10. The clamp plates 15 are preferably inset into receiving depressions 16 formed in the sides of the block 10 and are secured in the depressions 16 in any suitable manner, such as by means of attachment screws 17. The clamping plates project upwardly above the block 10 and each plate cue-receiving groove.

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terminates at its top in an arcuate, semi-cylindrical cue-' receiving portion 18.

The improved cue support is applied to a conventional, tapered game cue, such as illustrated at 19, by simply sliding the tip extremity of the one between the arcuate cue-receiving portions 18 of the clamp plates 15 and forcing the cue forwardly therebetween so that the taper of the cue resiliently forces the arcuate portions 18 apart so that the cue will be frictionally engaged therebetween.

In use, the cue support 10 is rested on a game table, indicated by the line 21, with the tip extremity of the one 19 aligned with the game ball, illustrated at 20. For a straight shot without ball rotation the cue'is positioned as in Fig. 4. To impart a forward rotation to the ball, to cause it to follow through the cue is positioned as in Fig. 5, and to impart a rearward rotation to return the ball, the one is positioned as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be noted that since the one is firmly supported by the supporting block 10 only one hand is required to play a game with the improved cue support. The wide bottom of the block It] acts to resist sideward tilting of the cue, and the rounded contour of the block allows the cue to be smoothly vertically tilted to any desired position.

In Figs. 7 and 8 an alternate form of one support is illustrated consisting of a supporting block 22 similar in all respects to the block of Fig. l and provided with a cueaeceiving groove 27 similar to the previously described groove 14. An inverted flaring U-shaped plate 23 extends downwardly over the block 22 and projects upwardly above the top thereof in spaced relation to the The two sides of the plate 23 are secured to the block 22 by means of suitable screws 24.

A leaf spring 25 is secured at its one extremity beneath the top of the plate 23 by means of a suitable attachment rivet 26. The intermediate portion of the spring 25 bows away from the plate 23 and the other extremity of the spring slidably engages the plate.

The game one is applied to this block similarly to the previous block, that is, the cue is simply slid along the cue-receiving groove 27 so that the taper of the cue will compress and flex the spring 25 to provide sufficient frictional engagement to retain the block in place upon the cue while in use.

While the device has been illustrated and described with the greater radius extremity positioned forwardly, it can, of course, be reversed and placed upon the cue in the opposite direction, with the smaller radius extremity directed toward the tip of the cue, if desired.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A game one support comprising: a fulcrum block having a relatively wide arcuate, rocker-like lower edge and a relatively narrow straight upper edge, said wide lower edge being transversally flat throughout its length to resist sideward tilting of said block upon a supporting surface; a longitudinally-extending groove formed in said straight upper edge and adapted to receive a game cue; an attachment device secured to each side face of said block and extending thereabove on each side of said game one to retain the latter in said groove.

2. A game one support as described in claim 1 in which the attachment device comprises: two resilient side plates, one plate being secured to each side face of said block and having a portion extending above said block, the extending-above portion having a semi-cylindrical l atented Apr. 5, 1960 shape to conform to and engage the two sides of said Q game cue.

3. A game cue support asfdescribed in claim 1 having a resilient leaf spring secured to said attachment device and positioned to resiliently engage said cue so as to Urge the latter into frictional engagement with said groove.

4. A game cue support comprising: a solid block of material adapted to be positioned vertically below and in alignment with a game cue, said block having a greater length than height and a greater height than thickness; a vertically arcuate forward extremity on said block; a vertically arcuate rear extremity on said block; a curvated bottom surface on said block joining said forward and rear extremities to form a rocker-like lower surface, said lower surface being transversally fiat throughout its length to resist sideward tilting of said block upon a supporting seams surface; a straight upper edge on said block having a longitudinally extending groove for receiving said game cue; and a strap secured to the opposite Sides of said block and extending over said groove for retaining said cue in said groove.

5. A game cue support as described in claim 1 in which the radius of curvature of the forward extremity of the block is greater than the radius of curvature of the rear extremity of the block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 453,797 Wicklifie June 9, 1891 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,379 Great Britain July 9, 1907 29,630 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1909 

